This invention relates to a color filter substrate and a color liquid crystal display apparatus. This invention is useful for a color picture display apparatus for, for example a television receiver set, a monitor in a video-tape recorder, a view finder of a video camera or a display apparatus of a computer terminal machine.
In FIG. 18, a color liquid crystal display apparatus 20 includes a color filter substrate 10 and an opposite electrode substrate 50 with a liquid crystal layer 7 disposed between the two substrates. An inner surface of the color filter substrate 10 has an opaque layer 4, color layers 2 (i.e., 2R, 2G, 2B), an electrode 5 made of, for instance, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), and an alignment film 14, usually formed of an organic material such as polyimide. Color ink layers 2, for instance, are composed of three colors, red (R) 2R, green (G) 2G and blue (B) 2B. The opaque layer 4 has a matrix shape and color ink layers 2 are disposed on open areas of the opaque layer 4. Between the two substrates 10 and 50, spacers 3 are disposed to maintain the gap between two substrates. These spacers 3 include a plurality of spacer ink layers, 3R, 3G and 3B, which are stacked. The spacer ink layers are formed during the process of forming color ink layers 2.
The two substrates 10 and 50 are attached to each other in a peripheral portion exclusive of a liquid crystal injection area, by a seal member.
An island shape spacer is disposed at a liquid crystal injection area. This island shape spacer is made of the same material as the seal member and is coated by a nozzle which dispenses the material.
In the liquid crystal display apparatus, as shown in FIG. 19 when a misalignment of the spacer layers, 3R, 3G and 3B, of the spacer 3 occurs during the spacer forming process, an area of effective thickness of the spacer is the maximum aligned area of the spacer layers and the gap of two substrates may be varied. Especially, when the substrate is curved, the degree of the misalignment tends to differ relative to the position on the substrate. In addition, when the degree of the misalignment varies relative to each production lot, the gap of two substrates is not uniform relative to each production lot. When the gap of two substrates is not uniform, it is difficult to produce a good display.
It is also difficult to maintain the gap of the two substrates at the liquid crystal injection area. Because the island shape spacer is made of the same seal material and coated by means of using a nozzle, the gap of the two substrates may not be uniform at the liquid crystal injection area, so that it is difficult to produce a good display.